Communication cables are typically interconnected by splicing together conductors of the cables. When communications cables are spliced together in an aerial location, a case or enclosure, commonly referred to as a splice closure, is suspended from a carrier cable and installed around the aerial location to protect the cable splices from exposure to the environment and the elements. Most splice closures include an outer casing formed by two housing halves made of a relatively hard plastic material that are hinged together in a clamshell fashion to permit access to the cable splices. When closed, the housing halves are fastened together, for example by latches, along the longitudinal length of the closure. The ends of the splice closure are typically closed with end caps made of a relatively soft elastomeric material, for example rubber, that are configured to conform to the size, shape and location of the cables entering and exiting the closure.
The plastic outer casing formed by the housing halves is generally impervious to the elements, including wind and moisture, and shields the cables splices from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Accordingly, the cable splices are well protected unless the structural integrity of the splice closure is compromised. It is well known that aerial splice closures are an attractive habitat for animals, such as rodents (especially squirrels) and birds. In addition, animals mistake the insulated cables, as well as the elastomeric material end caps and the plastic outer casing of the splice closure, for the foodstuffs of their natural environment. As a result, animals routinely eat, gnaw and tear away at the outer casing of the splice closure in an attempt to gain access to the interior. The relatively soft elastomeric material of the end caps is most vulnerable and provides the least amount of resistance for intrusion into the splice closure. However, determined animals are also capable of gaining access to the interior of the splice closure through the relatively hard plastic outer casing. Once the structural integrity of the splice closure is breached, the cables splices within the closure are susceptible to damage from the animal infestation, and in addition, due to corrosion as a result of exposure to the elements. Eventually, one or more of the cable splices is compromised sufficiently to interrupt communications service and must be reworked.
The problem of animal intrusion into splice closures is well documented in the January 2009, Volume 3, Issue 1, edition of The Norscan Report at pages 2-3. The Norscan Report suggests that potential solutions to rodent infestation into aerial splice closures include 1) using armored cable; 2) avoiding known natural environments of rodents; and 3) managing the growth of flora in the vicinity of the closure. The report also teaches that a retro-fit rodent deterrent can also be implemented on existing cable infrastructures by energizing any armored cable with a direct current (DC) or an alternating current (AC) voltage. Utilizing armored cable, energized or otherwise, is oftentimes impractical. Avoiding the known natural environments of rodents and is sometimes impossible and managing the growth of flora is only temporary. Accordingly, after reconfiguring the cables splices, the damage to the splice closure is typically repaired by a suitable means or the splice closure is removed and replaced by a new closure. In the event of repeated damage to the same splice closure, the conventional hard plastic and elastomeric material closure is removed and replaced by a metal enclosure. Regardless, reconfiguring the cable splices and repairing or replacing the splice closure more than once is costly and time consuming. More importantly, each instance of rodent intrusion into the splice closure can result in loss of service for an extended period of time with an accompanying loss of revenue.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,282,644 B1 issued Oct. 16, 2007, to Stephen L. Alvey and assigned to Verizon Services Corporation of Arlington, Va., USA, discloses an aerial cable splice closure having rubber end walls at either end of the closure. A protective shield may be affixed to the outside of each of the end walls of the closure to protect the rubber end walls from being breached by an animal intrusion. Each shield is made of a relatively hard plastic material formed in two halves. The halves are provided with semi-circular cutouts so that the shield can be positioned about the centrally located cable entering and exiting the closure. The cutouts can be configured with different radii to accommodate centrally located cables of different diameters. However, as previously mentioned, a determined animal is capable of eating, gnawing or tearing away even the hard plastic protective shields or the outer casing of the remainder of the splice closure. Furthermore, each protective shield can only be configured to closely surround a centrally located cable entering or exiting the closure.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved apparatus and method for preventing intrusion into an aerial splice closure. More specifically, there exists a need for an apparatus and method for preventing animals, such as rodents (especially squirrels) and birds, from gaining access to the interior of a splice closure by eating, gnawing or tearing away either the relatively soft elastomeric material end walls of the closure or the relatively hard plastic outer casing of the closure. In addition, there exists a particular need for an apparatus and method for preventing intrusion by an animal into an aerial splice closure having one or more cables entering and/or exiting the closure that are not centrally located relative to the outer casing of the closure.